OPEN FILE REPORT 83
PRELIMINARY SELECTION OF SITES
GEOLOGICALLYSUITABLE
FOR THE
DISPOSAL OF HAZARDOUS WASTES IN NEW MEXICO
Prepared by: Roy Foster, Senior Petroleum Geologist
George Austin, Deputy Director
John Hawley, Environmental Geologist
William Stone, Hydrogeologist
..
P r e p a r e d by:
.
i ' .
Roy F o s t e r , , S e n i & P e t r o l e u m G e o l o g i s t
.
.
Director . . . .
JohnHar?ley,Enviconmen&aI. Geoloyh>.
. -
GeorgeAustin,.Deputy
..
t v iSl lt ioanm
e,-~ydrogeologisk
New Mexico Bureau
-
. . .
, ,
..
-.
-
.
. .
. . .
...
.
.
o € Mines & M i . n a r a i l ~ e s o u x c e s
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"
. . .
. . . .
. - ..
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A t : t h e r e q u e s t of Vernon Arnold of t h e New MekLco E,7phr ' a , .. . '
preliminary geologic evaluation
was made' t o l o c a t e p o t e n t i a l
sites f o r - t h e s u r f a c e d i s p o s a l
of hazardous wastes.. . F a c.t o r. s
.
.
.
.
,
c o n s i d e r e d i n s i t e s e l e c t i o n . were ' l i m i t e d t o .t h
. e fol.lowin~:
.. '
:
1.
Rock - t y p e s chosen
Rock t y p ea n dp e r m e a b i l i t y : .
I
shouldhave
low i n t e r s t i t i a l p e r m e a b i l i t y .
.
.
T h e s e .i..nclude
..
..
.
. .
. . . .
s h a l e , gypsum, pumiceous t u f f , calicAe:above, l o w permeabiLPty
. .
zones, andsoaesoil.Permeablezones
may b es t l i k a b l e ' i n areas
'
of I n ' s i g n i f i c a n t r e c h a r g e 'where water. t a b l e is deep'.
. .
i n v e s t i g a t i o n s were n o t c o n d u c t e d f o r
Detailed geologic investigations of
includemeasuring
On s i t e . ':
t h e preliminary study-
a speci2i.c s i t e w&d
..
and d e s c r i b i n g t h e ' s t r a t i g r a p h i c s e q u e n c e ,
.
.
of'f r a c t u r e sysfiems, f.a u .l t i n g and p e m e a b L l i t y M i n e r a l o g i c a l ' c o m p o s i t i o n would be n e c e s s a r y f o r f u t u r e . ..StUCiieS '
.
n a t u r e and spacing
t od e t e r m i n er e a c t i o nw i t hd i f f e r e n t . t y p e s ' o f
waste.
This is:
. .
..
.
.
.
.
..
. .
.
.
8
'b
S h a l e i s exposed over large
"
New Mexico.
San Juan Basin.
2
areas i n t h e n o r t h e r n p a r t
T h e . Cretaceous L e w i s and.
Mancos
exposed i n t h e
.
S h a l e s are widely
The Pierre S h a l e a l s o of
and Mora Counties.
C r e t a c e o u sa g e ,c r o p so u ti nC o l f a x
Triassic Chinle Formation consists mostly'of shale'and
exposed both north
The
i s extensively
and s o u t h o f ' I - 4 0 i n e a s t e r n New Mexico.
on t h e . P i e r r e . S h a l e a t t h e
Extensive studies have been conducted
waste d i s p o s a l s i t e . 'in Colfax
Chem-Nuclear l o w - l e v e l r a d i o a c t i v e
County.Pumiceous
of
t u f fb e d sh a v eh i g h 'p o r o s i t yb u tu n i e s sf r a c t u r e d ,
.
.
v e r y low p e r m e a b i l i t y .I n c l u d e da r e
Tuff i n t h e Jemez Mountainsand
T e r t i a r ya g ei nS o c o r r o
t h e Q u a t e r n a r yB a n d e l i e r
.
t u € f s i n the D a t i l Formation of
and CatronCounties-
The BandelierTuff
waste a t LosAlamos.
has been used for storage of radioactive
Recentextensiveinvestigations
.
at this site indicate that there
h a s b e e n n o t r a n s p o r t a t i o n o f r a d i o n u c l i d e s o u t s i d e t h e c o.n t. a. i n m e n t
a r e a .C a l i c h e - c a p p e ds u r f a c e sa r e
common a l t h o u g hn o tr e s t r i c t e d
Where t h e s e u n i t s o v e r l i e
t ot h es o u t h e r np a r to ft h es t a t e .
s t r a t a of g e n e r a l l y low p e r m e a b i l i t y t h e r e is. a good p o t e n t i a l
for location
of a s i t e s u i t a b l e f o r l o n g - t e r m h a z a r d o u s
was.te
disposal.
2.
Known a q u i f e r s :
possibility for contamination of
Where there appeared t o be a
a f r e s h water a q u i f e r t h e
w a s e l i m i n a t e df r o mc o n s i d e r a t i o n .T h i s
detailed studies might indicate areas that
disposal.
site
was t r u e eventhough
would b e s u i t a b l e f o r
The P i e r r e S h a l e i s r e p o r t e d t o b es a t u r a t e dw i t hw a t e r
t on e a rt h es u r f a c e
i n ColfaxCounty.
However, p e r m e a b i l i t i e s are
so low t h a t v e r y few wells a r e d r i l l e d i n t o t h i s i n t e r v a l
even f o r
s t o c k water.
The water i s g e n e r a l l y h i g h i n s u l f a t e s
use.
s u i t a b l ef o rd o m e s t i c
and n o t
The ChinleFormationdoescontain
1
low-yield,shallowfresh-wateraquifers.
The water i s e x t e n s i v e l y
used f o r d o m e s t i c and s t o c k p u r p o s e s a n d p r o b a b l y o c c u l s
fractures in the shale
in
andinterbeddedpermeablesandstones.
Because of t h i s t h e o n l y
sites c o n s i d e r e d i n t h i s i n t e r v a l a r e
a c a l i c h ec a p r o c k .I n
where t h eC h i n l eu n d e r l i e s
.
areas where
.
.
pumiceous t u f f s ' o c c u r a t t h e s u r f a c e t h e
.
water t a b l e is commonly
a t l e a s t below t h e t u f f b e d s . T h i s v e r i f i e s
v e r yd e e po r
of New Mexico
. . t h e r e are t h i c k
t h e i r low p
e r. m e a b i l i t y . I n p a r t s
.
sequencesofvalley-fillsedimentsconsistingofalternating
bedsofsandstone,shale,conglomerateandsiltstone,These
are
commonly capped by a r e s i s t a n t s u r f a c e
some
of these areas
water table
may b e u n d e r l a i n
i s very deep and
Water p e r c o l a t e s o n l y
before evaporating
of caliche.Although
by f r e s h - w a t e r a q u i f e r s ,
there i s no' recharge from
a short distance into the soils
the
the surface.
andsediments
and p r e c i p i t a t i n g t h e c a l c i u m c a r b o n a t e
t h a t forms t h e c a l i c h e c a p .
S u r f a c eS t a b i l i t y T
: here
3.
i s l i m i t e di n f o r m a t i o n '
state.
a v a i l a b l e on e r o s i o n r a t e s i n v a r i o u s p a r t s o f t h e
'Attempts
were made t o s e l e c t s i t e s t h a t a t l e a s t u n d e r p r e s e n t c o n d i t i o n s
are n o t b e i n g e r o d e d a t
a v e r yr a p i dr a t e .S h a l eb e d ss u c h
the Pierre could be subject to rapid erosion
i nc o n d i t i o n s .
s t a b l ef o r
The c a l i c h e - c a p p e ds o i l s
as
i f t h e r e w a s a change
andsedimentshavebeen
a c o n s i d e r a b l el e n g t ho ft i m e .B a r r i n gd r a s t i c
climatic changes it i s expected t h a t e r o s i o n r a t e s w i l l c o n t i n u e
.
a t a v e r y low r a t e .
The t u f fb e d s , .a l t h o u g hs o f t ,g e n e r a l l yh a v e
. .
..
.
low rates of erosion in the present New Mexico climate; These
beds
commonly
form
flat-topped
mesas
surrounded
by
fairly
steep
cliffs. Active streams will form deep, steep-sided canyons
.in
geologically
intermittant
areas
periods
tributaries
is
o,f
time,
fairly
but
dissection
by
slow.
Known and Potential Mineral Deposits: Evaluation
4?
from this
short
aspect
and
was.limited
known
and
to
potential
develop,ed
sites
for
oil
the
and
gas
producing
'
development
of coal,
potash and uranium resources. This eliminatesa considerable
portion
of
southeastern
and
northwestern
New
Mexico.
5.
Land Status: Land ownership and usewas only
partly considered in site selection. Indian lands were avoided
eliminating large areas in the San Juan Basin. State ownership
was considered in some cases. Where the.Pierre Shale is exposed
in
Colfax
and
Mora
Counties,
state
ownkrship
was
to used
narrow possibilities toa specific locality. A large contiguous
block
of
land
Is present
state
where'Torrance,
San
Miguel
and
Santa Fe Counties join. Ownership of the localities selected
includes
Office,
private
land
and
lands
administered
by
the
State
Land
Bureauof Land Management, Forest Service, and Department
of Defense. State lands are fairly complex.
As'an example, the
state
with
may
only
administer
mineral
rights
the
. _
surface
privately owned. This would have
to be determined for each site.
6.
Accessibility: Some consideration was given to
assessibility
merely
because
although
of
poor
sites
were
access
or
not
necessarily
distances
from
eliminated
potential
sourc
*
5
of hazardous waste. This is an important cost factor.A somewhat
different
source,
the
approach
type
nearest
site
selection
might
to be
first
determine
quantity
of hazardow wastes and then look for
and
and
for
most
accessible
geoloqica~lysuitable
site.
Summary: Sites were selected based
on apparent suitable
geologic and hydrologic conditions. Detailed investigation might
.
'prove
that
many
or
.
even
all
of
the
Sites
selected
in
this
pr
minary process are unsuitable.No consideration was given to
possible environmental, ecoloqic,or demographic factors with
the
exception
Many
Types
wastes
and
of
might
potential
be
contamination
better
quantities
of these
this approach is practical.
disposed
in the
of
wastes
of
fresh-water
aquifers.
subsurface.environment.
.are
needed,to determine
if
6
PRELIMINAKY SITE
S i t e Designation:
10-1:
Raton
County:
Colfax
"
Location:
Geology:
T.26N.,
R.24E
Dark g r a ys h a l e
o f Pierre Formation of Cretaceous
age.
Water:
See s i t e 21-1
.
.
P r e c i p i t a t i o1n6:" / y r .
Evaporation:
50-55"/yr.
Erosion:
0.2-0.5
Land S t a t u s :
Accessibility:
acre f t . / s qm
. i./yr.
S t a t e l a n dP
. r i m a r yu s eg r a z i n g
8 miles o f g r a v e l , g r a d e d , a n d d r a i n e d , a n d
.graded and drained roac north
Remarks:
from U.S.
.
56.
This s i t e on t h e Pierre s h a l e w a s chosenbecause
it i s mostly s t a t e land.
S i t e 21-1.
.
it
For additiona1,comments see
8
PRELIMINARY. SITE'
S i t e Designation:
-
County:
Colfax
Location:
'Geology:
21-1:
Mora
T.23N.,
'
Springer
T.22N.,
R.20-21E.;
R.21E.
'
.
of the
Thickdarkgrayshale,probablybentonitic,
'PierreShaleofCretaceousage.
Water:
The P i e r r e S h a l e
i s s a t u r a t e d w i t h water a l m o s t t o t h e
However p e r m e a b i l i t y i s so low no water i s
surfa'ce:
wells.
y i e l d e dt o
Locallywhereweathered
t o below
the water table small yields of poor quality water
are
obtained.
16"/yr.
Precipitation:
Evaporation:
55"/yr.
Erosion:
0.2-0.5
Land S t a t u s :
a c r ef t . / s q .
mi./yr.
Private and s t a t e l a n d .P r i m a r i l yg r a z i n g
Accessibility:
1-12 miles of gradedanddrainedandunimproved
and primitive road
.
.
Remarks:
w e s t of 1-25.
This i s t h e same s t r a t i g r a p h i ci n t e r v a lp r o p o s e d
by
Chem-Nuclear f o r t h e d i s p o s a l o f l o w - l e v e l - r a d i o a c t i v e
waste.
The work doneon
t h e Pierre Shalecouldbeused
f o r s e l e c t i n g a hazardous waste s i t e i n C o l f a x and Mora
Counties.
..
"
PP?LIMINARY SITE
S i tDe e s i g n a t i o n :
Jemez
29-1:
County:
Sandoval
Location:
Geology:
T.18-20N.,
R.2E.
BandelierTuffofQuaternary
age:
Mostlynonwelded
t o welded ash-flow deposits.
Water:Indicateddepth.
t o water g r e a t e r t h a n
500 f t . and y i e l d s
less t h a n 25gpm.
Precipitation:
20-25"/yr.
Evaporation:
40-45"/yr.
Erosion:
Low r a t eo fe r o s i o n .
Land S t a t u s :
Accessibility:
Forest Service.
Upper s u r f a c es t a b l e .
Primary use t i m b e r i n g
-
recreation.
NM4 and 1 2 6 t r a v e r s ea r e a .
Soils;
Remarks:
Shouldbeanexcellent
s i t e f o rl o n g - t e r mi n t e g r i t y .
Apparently no radio nuclides have migrated from
a t Los Alamos i n same s t r a t i g r a p h i c i n t e r v a l .
site
PRELIMINARY S I T E
S i t e Designation:
-
County:Torrance
Location:
Geology:
43-1:
Lamy
San Miguel
T.9-10N.,
R.13E.
minor limestone and
Water:
s i l t s t o n e with
Yeso Formation of Permianage.Clayey
Depth on t h eo r d e r
wells i n t h e Yeso.
gypsum.
of 200->500
f t .a l t h o u g h
some shallow,
Water q u a l i t yg e n e r a l l yp o o r( h i g h
s u l f a t e s ) and y i e l d s low.
Precipitation:
Evaporation:
Erosion:
14-16"/yr.
55"'/yr.
Area of m o d e r a t er a t e s
of e r o s i o n
Land S t a t u sS
: t a t eP
. r i m a r yu s eg r a z i n g
A c c e s s i b i l i t y :I n t e r s t a t e
Remarks:
S t u d i e s wouldhave
4 0 c r o s s e s area.
tobe
made o f i n f i l t r a t i o n rates
andprobablycoringtodeterminestratigraphicsequence.
.
.
.
..
..
. .
.
..
.
..
.
.
,
..
_. .
PRELIMINARY S I T E
S i tD
e esignation:
Anton
Chico'
44-1:
County:
Torrance
Location:
Land Form:
Geology:
Water:
T.9N.,
R.15E.
F l a tt og e n t l yr o l l i n g .
Q u a t e r n a rayl l u v i d
a le p o s i t s
.
Depth t o water 50-150';shallowaquifer
Dockum Group.
Water q u a l i t y s u i t a b l e
,
i s. Triassic
f o r domestic use.
Minerals :
P r e c i p i t a t i ol n
l -: l 3 " / y r .
Evaporation:
55-60"/year.
Soils:
Clovis.Loam, Hagerman f i n e sandy Loam, Harvey-Dean Loams,
Tapia Loam, Tapia-Dean Loam.
C a l i c h e o r lime zones n e a r
surface in all
Erosion:
Low
Land S t a t u s S
: tate
Accessibility:
Remarks:
1-40
S h a l l o w f r e s h water would seem t o e l i m i n a t e t h i s
site.
PRELIMINARY SITE
S i t e Designation:
53-1:
Belen
County:
Valencia
Location:Belen
C l a i m about 2 miles west ofBelen;
projected,
Land Form:
T.5N,,
R-IE..
(see Ground-Water Report 7 NMBM&MR)
with shallow
T a b l e l a n d ,l e v e lt og e n t l yu n d u l a t i n g ,
undrained depressions.
Sierra Ladrones(UpperBuff)Formation-UpperSantaFe
Geology:
loam and
Group, a n c i e n t r i v e r d e p o s i t s ( i n t e r b e d d e d s a n d ,
c l a yw i t hn o n i n d u r a t e dc a l i c h ec a p ,
2-5
Unit
ft. thk).
more t h a n 200 f t . t h i c k .
Water:
Water t a b l e more t h a n 300 f e e t b e l o wl a n ds u r f a c e ;
ofsaturationin
Santa Fe Group b a s i n f i l l .
zone
No i n t e g r a t e d
surface 'drainage system, except overland and shallow
channelizedflow.intoelongatedcloseddepressions.
Minerals :
unknown
Precipitation:
Evaporation:
8"
.
(Los Lunas)
75" C l a s s A'Pan(Los
.
Lunas)
S o i l s :A r i d i s o l s ,w i t hs t r o n gh o r i z o n s
'ofclayand/orcarbonate
accumulation.
Erosion:
.
Water erosion-sedimentationhazard:-none
Land S t a t u s :
Accessibility:
toslight
P r i v a t e ; Range use.
Good a c c e s s t o 125-NM80, v i ag r a d e dB e l e n
Dump Road
(about 2 miles west of Belen)
Remarks:
This i s a c e n t r a l l y l o c a t e d
metropolitan areas
s i t e c l o s et om a j o r
and n e a r g e o g r a p h i c a l c e n t e r o f
state.
PRELIMINARY SITE
S i t e D e s i g n a t i o n : . 55-1:
Laguna d e lP e r r o
County : Torrance
Location:
Geology:
T.8N.,
R.12E.
Yeso Formationof
s h a l e , and gypsum.
this area
Water:Depth
Permian age.Sandstone,limestone,
May c o n s i s tm o s t l yo fs a n d s t o n e
in
due t o p r o x i m i t y t o P e d e r n a l M o i m t a i n s .
400-600
less t h a n 1 5 gpm.
f t . y i e l d sg e n e r a l l y
Water i s g e n e r a l l y u n s a t i s f a c t o r y
u s eb u tc a nb eu s e df o rs t o c k .
for d r i n k i n g o r domestic
!bo w e l l s i n township
indicatesuitakjilityfordomesticuse.
P r e c i p i t a t i o1n4:" / y r .
Evaporation:
Erosion:
50-55"/yr..
acre f t . / s qm
. i./yr.
0.,2-1.0
Land S t a t u s S
: tate
Accessibility:
Remarks:
U S 285 c r o s s e sn o r t h e a s tc o r n e r .
T h i sl o c a l i t y
i s p a r to fw h a ta p p e a r s
contiguousblockof
t o bethelargest
s t a t e l a n d .S t r a t i g r a p h yo f' t h e
Yeso i s poorly known i n t h i s a r e a .
20.
PRELIMINARY SITE
S i tD
e esignation:
57-1:
S a n t a Rosa
D e Baca
County:
Location:'
T.4N., R.22E.
Land Form:
M o s t. l y. g e n t l y r o l l i n g w i t h i n t e r i o r d r a i n a g e
Gravel, s i l t , s a n dc, l a ya, n dc a l i c h eP. l i o c e n e -
Geology:
Pleistocene
Water:
15-300'.
Q u a l i tg
ye n e r a l lp
yo o r
Minerals :
Precipitation:
10'11"
Evaporation:
Spils:
Erosion:
Very l i t t l e d i s s e c t i o n
Land S t a t u s :
. State
Accessibility:
Remarks :
-
grazing
4 miles g r a v e lr o a dn o r t h
from US 6 0
. .
PmLIMINARY S I T E
S i tD
e esignation:
62-1:
Quemado
.
County:
Catron
Location:
T.2S.,
.
R.13W.
Geology:Massivepumiceousand
crystaltuff
.
and t u f f b r e c c i a o f t h e
T e r t i a r y D a t i l Formation
Water:
Water depth 200-500 f t . f r e s h
w a t e r y i e l d sf r o m
less t h a n
2 5 gpm t o 1 0 0 gpm.
P r e c i p i t a t i o1n6: " / y r .
Evaporation:
45"/yr.
Erosion:0.2-0.5acreft./sq.mi./yr.
Land S t a t u s : P r i v a t e
Accessibility:
and s t a t e l a n dw i t hg r a z i n gp r i m a r y
use.
20 miles ofgraded-drainedandunimprovedroadsouth
from U S 60 a t Pietown.
Remarks:
Shouldhavevery
low permeabilityand
minor f r a c t u r i n g .
ry
"
PF33LIMINARY SITE
. .
S i t e Designation:
County:
63-1:
Datil
.Socorro
~
..
y.1~. , R . 7 - 8 ~ 7 . ; T ; ~ S ,
. ~.7!d.
Location:
.
Geology:
Massivepumiceousand
. .
'and welded
c r y s t a lt u f f s
..
Water:
Depthfrom
200 t o >500 f t .
:'
. .
.
45-50"/yr.
Erosion:~0.2-0.5
acre f t . / s q .
of"less
.
.
'
'
.
.
'
.
.
..
.
-
Primary use
.
'
. .
,
Remarks:
some. timbering.
20 miles ofgraded
Accessibility:
and drainedandgravel.,graded
and drainedroadnorthof
Shouldhave
.
mi./yr.
Mostly p r i v a t e with minor state.
grazing, possibly
. .
.. ,
.
Land S t a t u s :
"
' .. ' .
. .
.
. . .
. .
.
.
tu$fS
.
No r e p o r t e ds a l i n e water.. ... .
. . .
12-16"/yr.
Precipitation:
.
.
.
Fresh water yields
than 25 g p m .
Evaporation:
..
US 60
.
low p e r m e a b i l i t y and milior j o i n t i n g .
',.
. .
I
. .
. . .' .
. .
.. ..
..
. .
..
..
.
.
PRl3LII4INARY SITE
71-1:
S i t e Designation:
Melrose
County:
Roosevelt
Location:
T.lS.,
Land Form:
Geology:
R.
29-303.
Mesa
O g a l l a l aC a p r o c ko v e rT r i a s s i cs a n d s t o n e ,s i l t s t o n ea n d
shale
Water:
S l i g h t l ys a l i n et ob r i n e ;
< 2 0 0 ' depth
M i n e r acl sa:l i c h e
Precipitation:
14-16"/yr.
Evaporation:
70-75"/yr;
S o i lG
s :y p s i f e r o u s
E, sandy
. .
Erosion:0.2-0.5acreft./sq.mi./yr.
Land S t a t u s :P r i v a t e
land
Accessibility:
Remarks :
(some l e a s e dt om i l i t a r y )
&
Good
some dryfarming.
-
s e v e r a l improvedroads
Used f o r r a n g e
.-
"
. .
.
.
.
.
...
PRELIMINARY S I T E
S i t e Designation:
73-1:
Reserve
County : . Catron
Location:
R.17W.
T.6S..,
Geology:Massivepumiceousand
thinsandstone
c r y s t a l t u f f ' a n da s hw i t hl o c a l
andcong1omerati.csandstoneinterbeds.
Some r h y o l i t e f l o w s a n d t u f f b r e c c i a s .
less than 2 0 0 f t . t o 500 E t .
Water:Depthfrom
y i e l d s less than 25 gpm.
F r e s h water
No s a l i n e waters known.
Precipitation:,
12-16"/yr.
Evaporation:
35-40"/yr.
Erosion:
0.2-0.5
a c r ef t . / s q .m i l . / y r .
Land S t a t u s :F o r e s t
Accessibility:
Service.
2-3 m i .
'
Low
P r i m a r y ' u s e sg r a z i n ga n d
timber.
o fg r a v e l ,g r a d e d ,a n dd r a i n e dr o a d
east
of NM 1 2 from Apache Creek
Remarks:
Thicknessofmassivepumiceoustuff
investigated.
needs t o be
Flows andinterbeddedsandstones
restrict u s e f u l l n e s s o f
site.
may
PmLIMINARY SITE
S
i
t
County:
e
:
75-1:
Luera Mountains
Catron
Location:
T.6-7S,
Geology:
Massive pumiceousand
3.9~.
of t h e T e r t i a r y
Water:
c r y s t a lt u f f
and t u f f b r e c c i a
D a t i l Formation.
table i s a t d e p t h so ff r o m< 2 0 0 ' f t .t o
Ground-water
>500 f t .Y i e l d so ff r e s h
water a r e ' l e s s . t h a n 25 gpm.
i n t h e general: area and probably occur
i n beas below t h e
tuff interval.
Precipitation
1:6 " / y r .
-
Evaporation:
45"/yr.
Erosion:
'
<0.2-0.5
Land S t a t u s : S t a t e
acre' f t . / s qm
. i./yr.
and BLM l a n d i n
BLM i n T.7S.
Accessibility:
30-40
T.6S.;
f o r e s t , p r i v a t e , and
Primary use i s grazing.
miles southof
US 6 0 v i a NM 7 8 (gravel,
g r a d e d ,a n dd r a i n e d ) .
Remarks:
Shouldhavevery
low p e r m e a b i l i t ya n dm i n o rf r a c t u r i n g .
32
PRELIMINARY SITE
S i tD
eesignation:
83-1:
Elida
County : Lea
Location:
T.9S.,. ~ . 3 2 E .
Land Form:
Geology:
Mesa
O g a l l a l a Caprock o v e r T r i a s s i c Dockum.
Siltstone,
s h a l e and sandstone
Water:
S l i q h t l y s a l i n e t o b r i n e ; <200 depth
M i n e r acl sa:l i c h e
Precipitation:
14-16"/yr.
Evaporation:
70-75"/yr.
Soils:
"Paleustaff
Erosion:
0.2-0.5
Land S t a t u s :
-
uptipsamments
-
Paleargids"
acre f t . / s q m
. i./yr.
7 sq. m i .
s t a t e , 1% s q . m i . BLM, 125 sq. m i . p r i v a t e ;
used as rangeland
A c c e s s i b i l i t y :F a i rt o
2 mi.
good; several unimproved r o a d s
from good road
Remarks :
.
.
*
.
. ..
.
.
.
" 33
.
.
.. .
. .
.
. -
..
...
. .
. .
i
.~,. .
. .
.
._
. .
.. .
. . .- .
.
.
.
. ..
.
.
.,
PPtLIMINARY SITE
S i tD
eesignation:
Elida
83-2:
County:
Roosevelt
L o c a t i o n : . T.4S.,
Land Form:
Geology:
R.32E
Plain
O g a l l a l a CaprockoverTriassic
Dockum.
S a n d s t o n e ,s h a l e
and s i l t s t o n e
Water:
S l i g h t l ys a l i n et ob r i n e ,
<200'
depth
Minerals:
Caliche
Precipitation:
14-16"/yr.
Evaporation:
70-75"/yr.
S o i"l sP:a l e u s t o l l s "
Erosion:
0.2-0.5
a c r ef t . / s q .
mi./yr.
.
Land S t a t u s :P r i v a t e ;u s e da sr a n g e l a n d
Accessibility:
Remarks :
Good
-
several unimproved roadsandone
line
&
hard surface
highway w i t h i n o n e
rail
mile.
P-WLIMINARY SITE
S i tD
eesignation:
83-3:
'
'
Elida
County:
Chavez
Location:
R.31E.
T.6S.,
Land Form:
Mesa
Geology:
O g a l l a l a CaprockoverTriassic
Dockmi.
Sandstone, s i l t s t o n e
and s h a l e
iJater:
S l i g h t l y s a l i n e t o b r i n e , <ZOO' d e p t h
Iainerals :
Caliche
Precipitation:
.
12-14"/yr.
.
Evaporation:
70-75"/yr.
soils:
"Haplargi~.-ustipsamments~~
Erosion:
0.2-0.5
Land S t a t u s :
Accessibility:
a c r ef t . /
1/3 s t a t e , 1/3 BLM, 1/3 p r i v a t e ;r a n g e l a n d
Good, 2 improvedroads,
as well.
Remarks :
sq. mi./yr.'
some unimproved ones
.-
..
. .
37
. .
i.
-
.
,
.
..
. . . .
. - '
"_
. .
\9
' i '
. .
..
.
.
.
k...
.
. . .
-. .
. .
. .
..
.
. .
.
. ..
. . .
.:
....
..
..
.....
. . . .
.
..
. ... .
. .
,
.
.-
..
..
_-
.
L
.
. .
..
-.
. .._
~
-. . .
I
PRJ3LIMINARY S I T E
S i t e Designation:
County:
Geology:
R.31E.
T.ll-12S.,
Land Form:
Mesa-cuesta
O g a l l a l a C a p r o c ko v e rT r i a s s i cs a n d s t o n e ,s h a l ea n d
siltstone
.
Water:
Caprock
Chavez
Location:
.
95-1:
S l i g h t l ys a l i n et ob r i n e ,
<200' depth
Minerals:
Caliche
14"/yr.
Precipitation:
Evaporation:
70"/yr.
s o i"l sC: a l c i u s t o d s "
Erosion:
0.2-0.5
Land S t a t u s :
a c r ef t . / s q .
12 sq. m i .
mi.blr.
s t a t e , 1 s q . m i . BLM, 1 s q . m i . p r i v a t e ;
used a s r a n g e l a n d
Accessibility:
Remarks :
Good
-
improvedroadthrough
site
....
a
1
._
..
.
a
39
.
.
.
.~
. .
*.
.
I
.
. . .....
....
.
.
I
..
.
. .
. .
.
.
II
.
.
. ...
.
.. .
....
.
.
~
..
..
.
..
.
. .
PRELIMINARY S I T E
S i t e Designation:
97-1:
Vi.rden
County:
Hidalgo
Location:
T.20S.,
R.20W.
Tableland; l e v e l t og e n t l yu n d u l a t i n g
Land Form:
Upper G i l a Group-ancient r i v e r a n d l a k e d e p o s i t s
Geology:
composed of s a n d a n d g r a v e l o v e r i n t e r b e d d e d s i l t - c l a y
sand,withlocalcarbonate
cementedzonesand
caliche
cap (2-5 f t . t h i c k )
-
Water:
Water table e s t i m a t e d t o b e
landsurface;
more t h a n 200 f e e t below
i n Upper G i l a Group
zoneofsaturation
b a s i nf i l l .S u r f a c ed r a i n a g e
networkpoorlydeveloped,
withcloseddepressions
Minerals:
Unknown
Precipitation:
Evaporation:
9.8"
(Lordsbury)
92" (Lordsbury) Class-A Pan
S o i l s :A r i d i s o l s ,w i t hs t r o n gh o r i z o n so f
carbona.te
cl.ayand
accumulation
Erosion:
Water e r o s i o n - s e d i m e n t a t i o nh a z a r ds l i g h tt on o n e
.
Land S t a t u s :
BLM; rangeuse
A c c e s s i b i l i t y :C r o s s e d
Virden
Remarks :
?
by US Hwy. 7 0 ; betweenLordsburgand
.
.
PRELIMINARY S I T E
S i t e Designation:
County:
1 0 0 - 1 Hatch (West-Mesa)
DonaAna
'
Location:
R.4W.
T.19S.,
Land Form:
Tableland, l e v e l t og e n t l yu n d u l a t i n g ,w i t hs h a l l o w
undrained depressions.
Geology: Camp Rice Formation(UpperSantaFe
riverdepositsof
Group) a n c i e n t
in.;erbeddedsand,clay,
withlocalcarbonate
and loam,
cementedzones.andindurated
c a l i c h ec a p r o c k( 2 - 5 f tt h k ) .F o r m a t i o n' a b o u t
Water:
250 ft thk.
Water t a b l e i s more t h a n 2 0 0 f t belowlandsurface;
zoneofsaturation
a t base of
Camp Rice Fm
( ? I , and i n '
underlying Lower Santa Fe Group p l a y a f a c i e s
(RinCOn
No i n t e g r a t e ds u r f a c ed r a i n a g ee x c e p tf l o w
Valley Fm).
i n t o small p l a y a d e p r e s s i o n s .
*Minerals:
Unknown; e x c e p tf o rb e n t o n i t ec l a yp r o d u c t i o nn e a r b y
from Upper Camp Rice Formation.
Precipitation:
Evaporation:
Approx. 9 " (Hatch)
Cruces)
Approx. 9 7 " Class A Pan (Las
.
S o i l s :A r i d i s o l sw i t hs t r o n gh o r i z o n so fc l a ya n d / o rc a r b o n a t e
accumulation
-
Erosion:Watererosion-sedimentationhazard--none
Local small dunesand
toslight.
deposits stabilized with
mesquite vegetation.
Land S t a t u s :
BLM,
s t a t e , and p r i v a t e( i n c l u d e sb l o c k
sections).
*See B u l l e t i n 8 7 ,
Camp Rice.
of 2 s t a t e
Range use.
p. 314 f o r d i s c u s s i o n o f b e n t o n t i c c l a y s
in
e
4-5
PRELIMINARY
SITE
Site Designation: 101-1 San Andres Mountains (Rincon Mesal
County: Dona
m'a
Location: T.l8S., R.lW., and parts of adjacent townships
Land' Form: Tableland, level to gently undulating with numerous,
shallow, undrained depressions.
Geology:
,
Camp
Rice
Formation
(Upper
Fe
Santa
Group)
. .
ancient
river deposits (interbedded. gravelly sand, clay and
' l o k , with
local
carbonate
cemented
zones
and
indurated caliche caprock (2-5 ft thk). Camp Rice
about 350 ft thk.
Water: Water table more than 300 ft below land surface; zone
.
of.saturation at baseof Camp Rice and in underlying
Lower Santa Fe playa facies (Rincon Valley Fm).No
integrated
small
.
surface
playa
drainage
system
except
flow
into
depression.
.
Minerals:Unknown..
Precipitation: Approx.
Evaporation: Approx.
9" (Hatch)
97" Class A Pan (Las Cruces)
Soils: Aridisols with strong horizons of clay!and/or carbonate.
Erosion: Water erosion-sedimentation hazard--none to slight.
Local
wind
erosion-sedimentakion
hazard--slight.
Land Status: BLM and state, range use.
Accessibilite: Excellent from Upham Interchange on Interstate
25
Remarks :
ATSF
RR
about
2 miles
west
of
area.
.
.
PRELIMINARY S I T E
S i t e Designation:
County:
113,-1Las Cruces ( F i l l m o r eP a s s )
Dona
Ana
Location: T.25S.,
Land Form:
R.3-4E.
T a b l e l a n d ,l e v e lt og e n t l yu n d u l a t i n g
Camp Rice Formation (Upper Santa Fe Gp) a n c i e n t r i v e s
Geology:
d e p o s i t so ni n t e r b e d d e ds a n d
and g r a v e l , s a n d ,
and
silt-clay, with partly indurated caliche caprock
(2-5 f t t h k ) .
Water:
Formation a t l e a s t 350 f t . thk.
Water t a b l e more t h a n 300 f t belowlandsurface;zone
of saturation in. lower
Camp Rice and underlying Fort
Hancock FormationsofSanta.
Fe Group.
Surfacedrainage
absent or poorly integrated.
Minerals:
Unknown, gypsum minedfrom
Paleozoicbedrocknearby
i n F r a n k l i n Mtns.
Precipitation:.
8-4"
. .
(LasCruces)
Evaporation: 97" C l a s s A Pan. (Las Cruces)
Soils:
A r i d i s o l sw i t hs t r o n gh o r i z o n so fc l a ya n d / o rc a r b o n a t e
accumulation.Localdiscontinuousdunesandcover.
Erosion:
Water erosion-sedimentationhazard--none
t os l i g h t
Wind erosion-sedimentation hazard--slight.
.
'
Land S t a t u s :
BLM and m i l i t a r y (SW edgeofFort
B l i s s Range-not
impact area).
A c c e s s i b i l i t y :F a i r
t o good; on gradedroad
of Vado Interchange I 10.
Remarks :
3 t o 4 miles e a s t
a
PRELIMINARY
SITE
Site Designation: 113-2 Las Cruces (West Mesa)
County: Dona Ana
Location: T.25S.-T.26Sa, R.1E. and parts of adjacent townships
Land Form:
Tableland, level to gently undulating with numerous,
.
shallow
undrained
depressions.
*Geology: Camp Rice Formation (Upper SantaFe Group) ancient river
deposits composedof interbedded sand, loam and clay,
with local carbonate-cemented zones and indurated
caliche caprock (>1,000 ft thk.)
.Water: Water table more than 300 ft. below land surface; zone af
saturation in Upper Santa
Fe Group basin fill. No
integrated surface drainage system, except overland and
shallow
channelized
Minerals:
Unknown
flow
into
small
playa
depressions.
. .
Precipitation: 8.4" (Las Cruces)
Evaporation:
97" Class A Pan (Las Cruces)
Soils: Aridisols, with strong (indurated) horizonsof carbonate
accumulation,
with
local
weak
on thin
soils
sand
dune
cover.
Erosion: Water erosion-sedimentation hazard--none to slight
Local
small
sand
dunes
vegetation.
mostly
stabilized
by
mesquite
..
Land Status: BLM and state, with several small private holdings.
Range
use.
Accessibility: Fair to good (1 paved road to Aflon Pumping Station
(El Paso)
Natural Gas) from Mesilla Valley NM28.
Remarks :
*
Basalt flows locally
consideration.
present
should
be
excluded
from
site
PRELIMINARY S I T E
Site Designation: 115-1 Hueco Mountains
County:Otero.
Location:
R13E.
T.23S.,
.
Land Form: Plain (caliche at or near surface)
.
.
Geology: Caliche caprock over Yeso Formation (limestone, shale,
-
and
siltstone)
Water: 'Fresh to' saline
5 O O r deep
Minerals:Caliche
Precipitation:9"/yr
Evaporation:
70"+/yr
Soils: Gypsiferous and sandy
Erosion:
0.2-0.5
Land Status:
Acre ft/ mi2 /yr
3 mi2
-
ELM,. 1
mi2
-
State; used as rangeland
Accessibility: Good-improved road across SE corner, but far from
.
highway.
Remarks :
.
PRELIMINARY SITE
S i t e Designation: 118-1 Carlsbad
County:
Eddy
L o c a t i o n~: . 2 5 S .~, . 2 5 E .
Land Form:
Gypsum
pl.ain
C a s t i l e Formation-gypsum,
Geology:
anhydrite,andlimestone
o fc o n s i d e r a b l et h i c k n e s s .
Water:
Slightlysalinetobrineat
Minerals:
.
less t h a n 2 0 0 ' .
Gypsum
Precipitation:
N
12"/yr.
Evaporation:
75-80"/yr
. .
.
.
Soils:Gypsiferousandsandy
Erosion:
0.5-1.0
Land S t a t u s :
Accessibility:
2
acre-ft/mi
/yr
7 sq m i BLM & 1 sq m i s t a t e
Good-unimproved
r o a d sw i t h i n
si.te w i t h U S .
highway w i t h i n 1 m i of NW c o r n e r .
Remarks :
0
-0
PRELIMINARY SITE
Site Designation: 119-1: Potash
County:
Eddy
Location:T.25S.,R.29-30E.
Land Form: Plain
Geology: Hard caliche over Permian and/or Triassic shale,
siltstone and sandstone.
'
.
Water:. :Moderately saline tobrine,N200t depth
Minerals:Caliche
Precipitation:12-14"/yr
Evaporation:
80-85"/yr
Soils:
"Camborthids-Calciorthids"
2
Erosion: 0.2-0.5 acre ft/mi /yr
Land Status: BLM; used as rangeland
Accessibility: Poor, only unimproved roads
Remarks :
PRELIMINARY SITE
S i t eD e s i g n a t i o n :
County:
119-2:
Potash
.
Eddy
Location:
T.26S.,
Land Form:
Geology:,
R.31E.
Plain
C a l i c h ec a p r o c ko v e rT r i a s s i c
dockum sandstone, s i l t s t o n e ,
and s h a l e .
Water:
S l i g h t l y s a l i n e t o b r i n e ; 200-500'
Minerals:
deep
Caliche
Precipitation:
12-14"/Iyr
Evaporation:.
75-80"/yr
Soiis:
Limey, gypsiferous,
sandy
2
Erosion: 0.2-0.5 acre € t / m i /yr
Land S t a t u s :
ELM owner; u s e da sr a n g e l a n d
A c c e s s i b i l i t y :F a i rt o
good,unimprovedroads
surfaceroad
Remarks :
3 m i SE
i n site; hard
0
PRELIMINARY S I T E
S i t e Designation:
County:
124-1
Mt.
\
'
Riley
i n Dona
Ana
Luna County ( p 6 s s i b l ea d j a c e n ts e c t i o n s
CtY1
Loeation:
T.28S.,
R.5W.,
SE p a r t a n dp o s s i b l ya d j a c e n ts e c t i o n s
i n R.4W.
Land Form:
t o Indian
M o d e r a t e l yd i s s e c t e dt a b l e l a n da d j a c e n t
Basin, a l a r g ec l o s e d ' d e p r e s s i o n( v o l c a n i c ? ) .
*Geology:
river and lake deposits
.composed of interbedded sand
and s i l t - c l a yl a y e r s ;w i t hl o c a ls o f tc a l i c h ec a p
,
(1-4 f t t h k )
*Water:
Upper Gila Group-ancient
L o c a le o l i a ns a n dd e p o s i t so v e r :
-
Water t a b l ee s t i m a t e dt ob e
surface; zoneof
more t h a n
300
' f e e t belowland
s a t u r a t i o n i n Upper G i l a Group b a s i n
f i l l .S u r f a c ed r a i n a g e
networkpoorly.developedwith
small and l a r g e c l o s e d d e p r e s s i o n s .
Minerals:
Unknown.
Precipitation:
Evaporation:.
Soils:
8.9 i n c h e s (Columbus)
92" Class A Pan ( F l o r i d a )
A r i d i s o l sw i t hs t r o n gh o r i z o n s
accumulation, with local
Erosion:
of c l a y andcarbonate
weak s o i l s onsanddunecover.
t o moderate,
Water e r o s i o n - s e d i m e n t a t i o nh a z a r ds l i g h t
Localactiveandstabilizedsanddunes.
Land S t a t u s :
BLM and s t a t e , range use.
A c c e s s i b i l i t y :P o o r ,
Remarks:
1 8 miles e a s t of Columbus on former SP R R ' G r a d e
About 6 miles n o r t ho fi n t e r n a t i o n a lb o u n d a r y .
*Localbedrockoutcrops(CretaceousandPaleozoic)
area.
. a t southedgeof
,,
'............
,,.-,,
!I
R
. .
E
P
U
I
-
3
. .
..
.
... .
I
.
,
I
e
PRELIMINARY
SITE
Site Designation: La Union (125-1)
County: Dona Ana
Location:T.27-29S.,R.i-2E.
Land
Form:
Tableland,
level
to gently
undulating
with
numerous
shallow, undrained depressions.
Geology: Camp Rice/Ft. Hancock Formation (Upper Santa Fe Group)
ancient
river
and
deltaic
deposits
composed
of inter-
bedded sand,. loam, and clay with local carbonate-cemente
zones
and
indurated
caprock
( > 1,000 ft thk).
caliche
Water: Water table more than 300 ft below land surface: zone of
saturation
surface
in
Upper
drainage
Santa
Fe Group
system,
basin
except
fill.No
overland
'
and
integrated
shallow
channelized flow into small closed depressions (playas).
Minerals:Unknown
I?
Precipitation:
Evaporation:
8"
(El.Paso)
I? 100" estimated ClassA Pan (El Paso)
Soils: Aridisols with strong (indurated) horizons of carbonate
accumulation,
with
local
Erosion::
.. Erosion-sedimentation
Local
small
sand
weak
hazard
dunes
soils
on thin s.arid dune cover.
(water)--none
to slight.
mostly
stablized
by
mesquite
vegetation.
Land Status: BLM and state, with several small private holdings,.
range
Accessibility:
use.
Fair, good graded roads from Mesilla Valley.
(NM273) at east edge of site area. SPRR also
'
.
crosses area.
"
.
Remarks:
South edge of potential site area is the International
Boundary.